Power transmission



NW, 16, 1948.. r. IAIVELLI 4 ,4 ,7

POWER TRANSMI S S ION Original Filed. March 14:, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEVQS.

Nova 16, 1948.. T. IIAVELLH ,4539794 POWER TRANSMISSION Original Filed March 1.4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

MVELLJ Patented Nov. 16, 1948 2,453,794 rowan TRANSMISSION Teno Iavelli, Detroit, Mich., asslgnor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Original application March 14, 1945, Serial No. 582,671. Divided and this application September 13, 1946, Serial No. 696,703

This invention relates to power transmissions and refers more particularly to improvements in transmissions of the type adapted to transmit power from the engines to the driving wheels of motor vehicles although in its broader aspects the invention may be used to advantage wherever transmission controls of the general type illustrated are employed.

My invention is particularly directed to improvements in transmissions of the type employing an overrunning clutch and is primarily directed to improved means for rendering the overrunning clutch inoperative under certain conditions. Such general arrangements have been heretofore proposed but are not entirely satisfac' tory owing to tendencies for binding, excessive wear, and breakage, to occur in the control parts. Practical limitations of space and cost intensify the problems involved as the overrunning clutches are usually nested in close association with other parts and it has been a problem to provide control mechanism of a fully satisfactory character from the standpoints of function, cost, and durability.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved transmission control which overcomes the aforesaid objections and wherein the overrunning clutch control parts are constructed and arranged for improved operation, having more direct thrust applications of the control parts, more positive action free from objectionable binding and wear of parts, and being readily adaptable within the space and cost limitations usually experienced.

A further object is to provide an overrunning clutch control operated in improved manner by a shiftable transmission speed ratio control element so arranged that the overrunning clutch is automaticaliy rendered inoperative or the rollers or other friction elements of the overrunning clutch held in a neutral position in response to predeierm ned shift of the shiftable transmission control elrment preferably so arranged that the shiftable element is under blocked synchronized control for obtaining the aforesaid hammer blow on sleeve in drive blocked position. Fig. 9 is a similar view illustrating the clutch 6 Claims. (01. 74-333) the cage after the shiftable element moves in engaging direction beyond its position of initial blocking.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 582,671, filed March 14, 1945, and is directed to the transmission mechanism, said copending application including claims directed to the overrunning clutch control.

In carrying out the objects of my invention, I have provided a novel arrangement of cooperating camming parts on the cage and cage operating structure in association with improved biasing means for the cage and support for the cage operating structure as more particularly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which are illustrative of one embodiment of my invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view showing my invention applied to a transmission change speed gearing.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevational view as indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the overrunning clutch and cage operating structure of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevational view through the overrunning clutch friction elements as indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view as indicated by line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the blocker clutch control as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a development plan view indicated by line 1-4 of Fig. 6 illustrating the clutch sleeve in fully released position and the blocker leading the sleeve. I

Fig. 8 is a similar view illustrating the clutch sleeve passing through the blocker preparatory to clutching engagement with the driving gear.

Fig. 10 is a similar view illustrating the clutch sleeve fully clutched with the driving gear.

Fig. 11 is a similar view illustrating the blocker lagging the sleeve in coast blocking relationship with respect to the sleeve.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied to a transmission of the type illustrated in the co-pending application of Carl A. Neracher et a1. Serial No. 335,310, filed May 15, 1940. I have illustrated only such portions of the disclosure in said copending application as may be necessary to an understanding of my invention, it being understood that my invention is of general application to a variety of types and arrangements of transmissions and drive mechanisms wherein control of overrunning clutches is desired.

A portion of the transmission is illustrated at A and comprises an input or driving shaft III, which receives drive from the usual engine, and an output or driven shaft II which is adapted to transmit drive to the vehicle ground wheels in the well known manner. The driving shaft I carries the driving gear or pinion I2 and a set of positive jaw-type clutch teeth I3 adapted to be interengaged with a set of jaw-type clutch teeth carried by a clutch sleeve B. The teeth of sleeve B are alternately cut back to provide relatively long teeth I4 and short teeth I5 alternate adjacent pairs being bridged together as shown in Fig. 7. V

Sleeve B is slidably splined at its non-bridged teeth It, I5 on the axially fixed teeth I6 of a hub I'I carried by the driven gear I8 which is rotatably journalled on the driven shaft II and adapted to be clutched thereto. The forward shift of sleeve B for clutching with teeth I3 is controlled by a blocker C whereby such clutching is limited to synchronous relationship in the speeds of rotation of gears I2 and I8 and, in the particular transmission illustrated, limited to engine coast conditions. When sleeve B is clutched with teeth I3, then the gears I2 and It are in two-way direct drive relationship for a l to 1 speed ratio drive therebetween.

Gear I8 is also adapted to be driven from gear I2 at a speed ratio different from 1 to 1 and to this end I have shown a countershaft type one-way reduction driving means between these gears. This drive comprises the coaxially rotatable countershaft gears It and respectively in constant mesh with gears I2 and I8 and having an overrunning clutch D operably interposed therein. A stationarily mounted shaft 2I provides a journal support for the countershaft gears. Assuming the usual clockwise rotation of shaft II), as viewed when looking from front to rear of Fig. 1, then overrunning clutch D will automatically clutch gears I9 and it together when gear I9 is driven counterclockwise at a speed tending to exceed that of gear 28 and automatically release the drive between these gears to allow gear Iii to freely slow down below the speed of gear 2t.

As thus far described it will be apparent that with the parts arranged as in Fig. 1, drive of shaft ill will cause the output gear I 8 to be driven at a reduction drive through gears H, I 9, overrunning clutch D, and gear 20. Should the sleeve-B be biased forwardly during this reduction drive, blocker C will obstruct sleeve B in an intermediate position of its shift preventing ratcheting of its teeth with teeth I3. However, if the driver releases the engine throttle control in the form of the usual accelerator pedal then, as will presently be apparent, overrunning clutch D will allow gear I2 to freely coast down relative to the sustained speed of gear I8 and when the speed of gear I2 reaches that of gear Referring particularly to Figs. 6 to 11, blocker C is under constant bias by a spring 22 of very light compression to cause the blocker to frictionally engage the cone portion 23 of gear I2 whereby .the blocker attempts to assume the speed of gear I2 within the limits allowed by a lost motion blocking connection with hub I! provided by the engagement of blocker drive lug 24 in a recess 25 of hub II. The blocker has blocking teeth 25 engageable with the teeth of sleeve B to perform the blocking function.

In Fig. 7 the sleeve B is in its initial released position of Fig. 6 and the engine is driving gear I8 through the reduction drive thus causing gear I2 to rotate faster than gear I8. Blocker C is frictionally moved to one end of recess 25, leading the sleeve B.

In Fig. 8 the sleeve is shown biased forwardly to its intermediate blocked position during the I8 blocker C will move to an unblocking posi- Fig. '7 condition of drive through the overrunning clutch D. Any suitable means may be provided for biasing the sleeve B as, for example,

some form of servo-motor energized under vehicle speed responsive control as disclosed in said co-pending application, or the sleeve B may be biased manually. In Fig. 8 the drive lug 2a is in the position of leading the gear I8 as in Fig. '7

because. gear I2 is rotating faster than gear I8.

Short teeth I5 now engage the blocker teeth 26 thus blocking sleeve B against further forward movement and long teeth It are extended between adjacent blocker teeth 26 but there is no ratcheting of the teeth of sleeve B with teeth I3. This is the condition known as drive block of the sleeve B preparatory to clutching sleeve B with teeth I3 and may be maintained as long as desired simply by maintaining the speed of gear I2 faster than that of gear I8.

If new the driver releases the accelerator pedal then the gear I2 will begin to drop'in speed and clutch D will overrun allowing gears I8 and 20 to maintain their speeds. As the speed of gear I2 falls ad to approach the speed of gear I8, blocker C will be finally moved by its friction connection at 23 and Fig. 9 illustrates this condition at the time when gear I2 has dropped to substantially the speed of gear I8 causing the blocker teeth 26 to slide off the ends of the short teeth It whereupon the sustained forward bias on sleeve B causes pairs of the teeth It, I 5 to move forwardly between the spaces between adjacent block-er teeth 26 and finally to interengage with clutch teeth It as shown in Fig. 10. Thus clutching of sleeve B is effected under blocker control during engine coast from a condition of drive block, such clutching protecting the mechanism against clutching under engine torque and insuring smooth clutching.

Fig. 11 illustrates the condition of coast block from which clutching of sleeve B is prevented without first establishing the drive block condition. In Fig. 11 the sleeve B has been biased forwardly While the gear I2 is rotating at a speed less than that of gear I 8. This condition may be experienced where, for example, with the accelerator pedal released for engine idling, the vehicle accelerates from rest down a hill until the vehicle speed or other controlling instrumentality effects forward bias of sleeve B. Blocker C lags gear I8, the drive lug 24 being positioned at the end of recess 25 opposite to that shown in Figs. '7 and 8. Now the long teeth Ill engage the blocker teeth 26 holdingthe sleeve B blocked. If now the engine is accelerated by depressing the accelerator, gear I2 speeds up and in apthe blocker teeth jump the gap between the long and short teeth and the parts become positioned in the Fig. 8 drive block relationship with the engine picking up the reduction drive through the overrunning clutch D. Then if the accelerator pedal is released for the coast, sleeve B will become clutched as progressively illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 as aforesaid.

Overrunning clutch D comprises a plurality of friction drive elements of any suitable type such as the cylindrical rollers 21 held in circumferentially spaced relationship by location in the recesses 28 in the cylindrical body portion 29 of a cage E. Rollers 21'frictionally act between the internal cylindrical surface 30 of the hub 3| of gear i9 and the cams 32. These cams are formed on the hub structure 33 drivingly connected with gear 20, preferably as an extension part thereof, the hub portion 33 being disposed concentrically within the cage E. Where the helical gears l2 and I9 are so arranged as to produce forward thrust at gear I 3, an assembly of thrust and gear journalling rings and retainers therefor may be provided at F between the hub portion 33 and the opening within the hollow gear l9 as shown in Fig. 1.

The cage E has its body portion 29 formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced rearwardly projecting extensions 34 each formed with a cam face 35 formed at an angle with the common axis of rotation of gears l9 and 20. A cage operating structure G provides an operating connection between sleeve B and cage E and comprises an annular ring portion 36 formed with an outwardly extending annular flange 31 which projects into the annular shift groove 38 of sleeve B, this groove being defined between the bounding sleeve flanges or wall portions 39 and 49, The arrangement is such that a lost-motion operating connection is provided between flange 31 and the sleeve flanges 39, 40.

When the parts are positioned as in Fig. 1 the flange 31 is spaced from sleeve operating flange 39 and when the sleeve B moves forwardly to its intermediate drive block position of Fig. 8, shown in Fig. 1 by the construction line B, a substantial portion of this clearance space remains between flanges 39 and 31 so that there is no tendency to thrust the flange 31 forwardly until after the sleeve B has been unlocked and is moving forwardly for clutching with teeth i 3. Furthermore this clearance space provides for a hammer-like blow from sleeve B to the cage opcrating structure G so as to expedite the initia- I tion of the cage camming. This is especially beneficial in overcoming any sticking tendency at the rollers 21 and in overcoming static friction and oil drag on the parts especially in cold weather.

The ring portion 36 is slidably journalled on the hub portion 4i adjacent and drivingly connected to gear 20, this hub portion having the axially extending grooves 42 slidably receiving the thrusttransmitting projecting portions 43 of the cage operating structure G. These projections 43 extend for operation between adjacent circumferentially spaced cage projections 34 and are provided with cam faces 44 complementary and parallel to cam faces 35. A small clearance is initially provided between cam faces 35 and 44 so that, with the overrunning clutch D engaged. these faces will not engage one another and will be spaced suiilciently to maintain this relationship for normal slight wear of earns 32 and for manufacturing tolerances.

The portions 36 and 43 are shown as separate pieces secured together to form a single rigid structure by the rivets 45, such arrangement facilitating the manufacture and assembly of the cage operating structure G although, if desired. this structure may be formed as a single metal piece with the sleeve-engaged portion 31 and the cage-operating cammed portions 44.

I have provided novel biasing means for yieldingly urging the cage E rotatably in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, for positioning rollers 21 in clutching position. The hub portion 33 is provided with circumferentially spaced recesses 46 for receiving a cage projection 41. The hub portion 33 is also formed with circumferentially spaced spring pockets 48 respectively opening outwardly at the recesses 46 and each seating one end of a coil spring 49, the other end of which extends into a recess 46 and seats against a surface 50 normal to the axis of the associated coil spring, If desired, the projections 34 and 41 may be combined such that each cage projection has a cam face 35 and is also biased by a spring 43 as will be readily understood.

When the structure G is thrust forwardly, as by sleeve B, then the cam faces 44 cooperate with the cam faces 35 of cage E to rotatably operate the cage in the direction opposite to that effected by the biasing spring 49 thereby holding the rollers 21 away from cams 32 and maintaining the overrunning clutch D in neutral or against engaging at least insofar as the drive at cams 32 is concerned. Among other things, my invention insures against any tendency for the transmission to undesirably lock-up with a double drive and avoids an uncontrolled no-back which is sometimes experienced in the type of transmission illustrated when sleeve B fai s to properly move rearwardly in bringing the car to rest on an upgrade or when the front bumper 0r tires place a rearward bias on the vehicle as a whole.

My invention provides an arrangement of direct thrust transmission in an improved manner from sleeve B to cage E and is capable of installation in assemblies where it is desired to maintain the gears closely adjacent each other. My arrangement of biasing springs 49 for cage E provides for an assembly of improved compactness and permits use of any desired number of springs acting directly on the cage and, if desired, the axis of these springs and recesses 48 may be inclined more in the direction of rotational bias of cage E although with the illustrated amount of offset of the springs from the cage center I have obtained the functional results desired.

I claim:

1. In a transmission, a driving shaft; a driving gear adapted tobe driven by said driving shaft; a. driven gear coaxial with said driving shaft and driving gear; a set of clutch teeth drivingly connected with said driving gear; a second set of clutch teeth drivingly connected with said driven gear; a sleeve carrying one of said sets of teeth, said sleeve being shiftable from a first position to a second position thereof whereby to shift the teeth carried thereby from a' position of disengagement with respect to the other of said sets of teeth into a position of interengagement with said other set of teeth thereby drivingly connecting said driving and driven gears in direct drive relationship; means for driving said driven gear at reduced speed from and with respect to said driving gear, said reduction driving means comprising a first countershaft gear meshed with said driving gear and a second countershaft gear coaxial with said first countershaft gear and meshed with said driven gear, and overrunning clutch means operably connecting said countershaft gears, said overrunning clutch means being so constructed and arranged as to permit said second countershaft gear to overrun said first countershaft gear when said driving gear is driving said driven gear in said direct drive relationship, said overrunning clutch means comprising a plurality of friction driving elements and a cage therefor; means operating to rotatably bias said cage about the axis of said countershaft gears and in a direction for moving said friction'elements into positions effecting one-way friction drive connection of said countershaft gears; a cage operating structure comprising a first portion thereof operably connected with said sleeve for effecting shift of said cage operating structure in the direction of the axis of said countershaft gears in response to the aforesaid shift of said sleeve from its said first position to its said second position and a second portion thereof formed with a cam face, said cage having a portion thereof formed with a, cam face adapted for engagement by the aforesaid cam face, said cam faces being so constructed and arranged that, when said cage operating struc-' ture is shifted as aforesaid, said cage is rotatably operated relative to said cage operating structure in a direction opposite to that effected by said biasing means thereby moving said friction elements into positions for preventing establishment of said one-way friction drive connection between said countershaft gears.

2. In a transmission according to claim 1; blocking means for said sleeve adapted to prevent engagement of said one set of teeth with said other set of teeth when said driving and driven gears are rotating asynchronously; said blocking means comprising a blocking element adapted, when said driving and driven gears are rotating asynchronously, to block said shifting movement of said sleeve at a position intermediate its said first and second positions, said sleeve having a portion thereof adapted to engage said first portion of said cage operating structure during movement of said sleeve from its said first position to its said second position, said sleeve portion being spaced from said first portion of said cage operating structure when said sleeve is in its said intermediate position such that, when said driving and driven gears are rotating substantially synchronously, said blocking means operates to move said blocking element into a nonblocking position relative to said sleeve whereupon further shift of said sleeve from its said intermediate position to its said second position will effect said engagement of said sleeve portion with said first portion of said cage operating structure during shifting movement of said sleeve whereby to facilitate initiation of the aforesaid cage rotation in a direction opposite to that effected by said biasing means,

3. In a transmission a driving shaft; a driving gear adapted to be driven by said driving shaft; a driven gear coaxial with said driving shaft and driving gear; a set of clutch teeth drivingly connected with said driving gear; a second set of clutch teeth drivingly connected with said driven gear; a sleeve carrying one of said sets of teeth, said sleeve being shiftable from a first position to a second position thereof whereby to shift the teeth carried thereby from a position of disengagement with respect to the other of said sets of teeth into a position of interengagement with said otherset of teeth thereby drivingly connecting said driving and driven gears in direct drive relationship; means for driving said driven gear at reduced speed from and with respect to said driving gear, said reduction driving means comprising a first countershaft gear meshed with said driving gear and a second countershaft gear coaxial with said first countershaft gear and meshed with said driven gear, and overrunning clutch means operably connecting said countershaft gears, said overrunning clutch means being so constructed and arranged as to permit said second countershaft gear to overrun said first countershaft gear when said driving gear is driving said driven gear in said direct drive relationship, said overrunning clutch means comprising a plurality of friction driving elements and a cage therefor; means operating to rotatably bias said cage about the axis of said countershaft gears and in a direction for moving said friction elements into positions effecting oneway friction drive connection of said countershaft gears; said cage comprising a cylindrical body portion having circumferentially spaced openings for receiving said friction driving elements and having at one edge thereof a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections extending from said body portion; a cage operating structure comprising a first portion thereof operably connected with said sleeve for effecting shift of said cage operating structure in the direction of the axis of said countershaft gears in response to the aforesaid shift of said sleeve from its said first position to its said second position and a second portion thereof formed with a plurality of projections respectively adapted for movement into the spaces between said cage projections; the projections of said cage and cage operating structure having coacting cam faces so constructed and arranged that, when said cage operating structure is shifted as aforesaid, said cage is rotatably operated relative to said cage operating structure in a direction opposite to that effected by said biasing means thereby moving said friction clements into positions for preventing establishment of said one-way friction drive connection between said countershaft gears.

4. In a transmission, a driving shaft; a driving gear adapted to be driven by said driving shaft; a driven gear coaxial with said driving shaft and driving gear; a set of clutch teeth drivingly connected with said driving gear; a second set of clutch teeth drivingly connected with said driven gear; a sleeve carrying one of said sets of teeth, said sleeve being shiftable from a first position to a second position thereof whereby to shift the teeth carried thereby from a position of disengagement with respect to the other of said sets of teeth into a position of interengagement with said other set of teeth thereby drivingly connecting said driving and driven gears in direct drive relationship; means for driving said driven gear at reduced speed from and with respect to said driving gear, said reduction driving means comprising a first countershaft gear meshed with said driving gear and a second countershaft gear coaxial with said first countershaft gear and meshed with said driven gear, and overrunning clutch means operably connecting said countershaft gears, said overrunning clutch means being so constructed and arranged as to permit said second countershaft gear to overrun said first countershaft gear when said driving gear is driving said driven gear in said direct drive relationship, said overrunning clutch means comprising a plurality of friction driving elements and a cage therefor; said reduction driving means further comprising a rotatable hub structure drivingly connected with said second countershaft gear and having a portion thereof disposed concentrically within said cage; biasing means comprising a plurality of coil springs spaced from each other about the axis of said countershaft gears and so disposed that one end of each spring is seated on said portion of said hub structure and the other end of each spring thrusts on said cage so as to rotataiily bias said cage about the axis of said countershaft gears in a direction for moving said friction elements into positions effecting one-way friction drive connection of said countershaft gears; a cage operating structure comprising a first portion thereof operably connected with said sleeve for effecting shift of said cage operating structure in the direction of the axis of said countershaft gears in response to the aforesaid shift of said sleeve from its said first position to its said second position and a second portion thereof formed with a cam face, said cage having a portion thereof formed with a cam face adapted for engagement by the aforesaid cam face, said faces being so constructed and arranged that, when said cage operating structure is shifted as aforesaid, said cage is rotatably operated relative to said cage operating structure in a direction opposite to that effected by said biasing means thereby moving said friction elements into positions for preventing establishment of said one-way friction drive connection between said countershaft gears.

5. In a transmission according to claim 4, said rotatable hub structure having a second portion thereof disposed concentrically within said cage operating structure and providing a support for slidably mounting said cage operating structure.

6. In a transmission, a driving shaft; a driving gear adapted to be driven by said driving shaft; a driven gear coaxial with said driving shaft and driving gear; a set of clutch teeth drivingly con nected with said driving gear; a second set of clutch teeth drivingly connected with said driven gear; a sleeve carrying one of said sets of teeth, said sleeve being shiftable from a first position to a second position thereof whereby to shift the teeth carried thereby from a position of disengagement with respect to the other of said sets of teeth into a position of interengagement with said other set of teeth thereby drivingly connecting said driving and driven gears in direct drive relationship; means for driving said driven gear at reduced speed from and with respect to said driving gear, said reduction driving means comprising a first countershaft gear meshed with said driving gear and a second countershaft gear co- J axial with said first countershaft gear and meshed with said driven gear, and overrunning clutch means operably connecting said countershaft gears, said overrunning clutch means being so constructed and arranged as to permit said second countershaft gear to overrun said first countershaft gear When said driving gear is driving said driven gear in said direct drive relationship, said overrunning clutch means comprising a plurality .of friction driving elements and a cage therefor; said reduction driving means further comprising a rotatable hub structure adapted to transmit drive to said second countershaft gear from said overrunning clutch means, said hub structure being formed with circumferentially spaced recesses; said cage having a plurality of projections respectively extendingintothe recesses of said hub structure; biasing means comprising a plurality of coil springs spaced from each other about the axis of said countershaft gears and so disposed that one end of each spring is seated on said hub structure and the other end extends into one of said recesses in thrusting relationship with one of said cage projections thereby to rotatably bias said cage about the axis of said countershaft gears in a direction for moving said friction elements into positions effecting one-way friction drive connection of said countershaft gears; a cage operating structure comprising a first portion thereof operably connected with said sleeve for effecting shift of said cage operating structure in the direction of the axis of said countershaft gears in-response to the aforesaid shift of said sleeve from its said first position to its said second position and a second portion thereof formed with a cam face; said cage having a cam face adapted for engagement by the aforesaid cam face, said cam faces being so constructed and arranged that, when said cage operating structure is shifted as aforesaid, said cage is rotatably operated relative to said cage operating structure in a direction opposite to that effected by said biasing means thereby moving said friction elements into positions for preventing establishment of said one-way friction drive connection between said countershaft gears.

' TENO IAVELLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

